Senators question NEDA’s P21 per meal poverty threshold

August 13, 2024 , 08:57 PM

By Clarist Mae Zablan

(August 13, 2024) – Some senators on Tuesday questioned the poverty threshold used by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to determine the country’s poverty rate, noting it to be too low amid recent increases in food prices.

Based on NEDA’s data, a family is considered under the poverty line if their monthly budget falls below P2,775, translating to P92.50 per day. The threshold is based on the minimum cost to meet a family’s basic needs as estimated by the government.

The government also considers a family to be food poor if their daily food budget does not reach P64, or just P21 per meal, numbers which were questioned by Sen. Nancy Binay.

“Three meals ho iyan, ‘di ba? Parang lumalabas na P20 per person per meal. Sa tingin n‘yo ho ba, that number is sufficient, ‘yung P20?” Binay said in a briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the proposed 2025 national budget.

Sen. Joel Vilanueva also asked NEDA if P92.50 per day is sufficient to meet the various basic needs of a Filipino family.

“Hindi ko alam kung saan aabot ‘yung P92.50,” he said.

Reacting to the senators, NEDA Sec. Arsenio Balisacan said there may be a need to review the government’s poverty threshold to account for inflation.

“Relative prices have changed, kasi nga nakita natin ‘yung price of rice, inflation there has been over 20% for the last couple of months. So obviously, doon lang, talagang ubos na ‘yung P20 per (meal),” Balisacan said.

Poverty incidence stood at 15.5% in 2023, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. This is lower than the 18.1% recorded in 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As many as 58% of Filipinos considered their families to be poor, according to a Social Weather Stations survey released last month.

(With reports from Maeanne Los Baños-Oroceo, News5)

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